Splish, Splash I Was Takin' A Bath

The other night, well actually a while ago, Josh gave Ella a bath. She loves the water and he likes to put bubbles on her head, so really it was the perfect combo. He is also much better at taking pictures than I am. These are some of my favourite pics.

Easter

I just wanted to post a few pictures of Ella in her Easter dress. We had a wonderful day.

Good Friday

Ella was able to explore in the grass for the first time yesterday. She found lots of things to play with and look it. Not chew on - hence the soother in the mouth. It's so neat to watch how amazed she is be a little stick (yes, that's a stick), or by the grass. So I thought that I couldn't think of a much better Good Friday for an 8 month old than to experience some of God's creation for the first time and to spend time with people who love her. I guess I couldn't think of a much better Good Friday for us either. This weekend we just need to take some time remembering what Christ has done for us.

wheeeeeeeeeee

I am looking forward to spending the summer with Ella. We have had a few days of nice weather and today we went to the park behind our house. Ella got to ride in a swing for the first time and she thought it was so fun. It is so special that I can stay home with my baby and share all these firsts with her. I wish I knew how to post the video I took so you could really see how much fun she was having. These will have to do.

Sorry

Well, life has been busy in the Genn household. Yes I know it is the same for all of you out there- I guess I should say it was just a little busier than normal. Since moving to Alberta we have had so many visitors (which is wonderful). There are a few things that contribute to this. The top one being Ella, second is that I've never lived outside of Winnipeg and third being IKEA. For Spring Break my niece Amber came to visit, the day after she left my parents and another niece, Blaire came for a week. Next week Josh's parents are coming. It is so wonderful to see them all - but I get tired out. We run around doing so many things. Ella slept all day on Monday - I wanted to.
All that to say - sorry for my lack of blogging.

Ella

Oh, I am so happy that this worked. I have been struggling with blogger lately. (I really have no clue what I am doing)
Here are just a few pictures of Ella.



Such a happy baby.












She is fascinated by her tongue.






A face only a mother could love!



Ok, now that I look at it, it didn't really work, but at least you got to see Ella. I'm working on it.

The Great Outdoors

I am so thankful for my husband's love of the outdoors. Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) he thought we needed to go do some sort of exploring. I wanted to take a nap. Well, at least he knows how to get me to do something. He told me I could take a nap on the half hour drive out there. (Not that he really knew where we were going). So we get packed up and we were on our way. He drove, I slept. When I woke up we were in some parking lot with horse trailers and cars and people with cross country skis. I thought it was a little cold for the baby (and for me) and wasn't too excited, but hey, I did get to sleep, so I needed to go. So we got on this path and started to hike. It felt so good to be out there, and Ella loved it. (You can tell my the permanent bend in her neck that she didn't want to miss a thing). We had so much fun, and I was truly thankful that Josh brought me out there. Oh yeah, about those horse trailers - people use the paths to exercise their horses.

SPRING IS HERE!

Every year around this time I get excited about the thought that summer is coming. With that excitement comes the idea that I should get in shape. For some reason it is always a half marathon that pops into my mind. So I get pumped up, and I start training. Thinking the whole time that I can do this. About a week later I realize what a dumb idea it was and put all marathon thoughts away till next spring when I drag them back out again. You think I would learn, but every year I get just as excited as the previous.
Well, this year was no different - well maybe a little. I decided to take it a little easier put my energy towards a 10K instead, and I thought I would tell a few people to give me some accountability. What was I thinking?? Before I knew it, I had 4 friends deciding to run with me!!! Not only that, they decided that I should present this 10K to our MOPS group, and that I should head it up. Are you for real? I am NOT a runner!!! Do you hear me? I don't run. I think in my head that I do, but I've never gone more than a half an hour... and that was a long time ago. Pre baby days.
But at this point, I'm still kind of pumped. I still think I might be able to do this. So I get out the stroller and Ella and I head out. I decide to walk for 10 minutes, jog for 10 minutes, walk for 10 minutes. So the first 10 minutes are great, then I start to jog. I look at the clock 11:07. Alright, here I go. Okay, getting a little tired - just keep going. Getting really tired - keep going. Just look at the clock, encourage yourself. 11:07 WHAT? I haven't even been running 1 minute? What am I doing out here? Well, I managed to go 4 minutes, thinking I was going to die. But I made it - 4 whole minutes (or close to). How am I ever supposed to run 10K?
So, here I am, trying to encourage other people to run with me when I don't think I can do it myself. I'm even supposed to find us matching pink tee-shirts! What have I done?
Well, Josh is just laughing - "How are you going to get out of this one Kelly?" Well, I was thinking about my options...
an injury or getting pregnant...hmmm.

calling all readers

I was thinking the other day that I would like to get more books for Ella. Reading to your child is such a wonderful thing, and it is being quickly replaced with TV. We have gotten rid of our TV (do to my addictive personality) and reading has become a better alternative. So, that brings me to the purpose of this post. I would like all of you out there to tell me what your favourite childrens books are. Whether they were read to you as a child, or you are reading them to your children, or if you've just heard that they were good. I would like Ella to grow up knowing all the classics that somehow I missed out on. Do it for Ella, and hopefully any other child out there whose parent is reading this blog. So all you book lovers out there, please help me.

Dad and Baby

Well another project in our house is nearing completion. It always sounds like it will only take a couple of days, but, well, life happens. So now our bathroom is getting close, and tonight I was really busy and Ella was cranky so I asked Josh to hold her for awhile. My choice would probably have been to rock her, but as you all know Josh and I are very different people. All I heard from the bathroom was "We should start a home improvement show Ella. It could be called Dad and Baby." Oh so creative. What a funny little family I have. She actually was pretty happy sitting in the sink. Who knew.

so much love in a bottle of TIDE

I feel as though I need to share this with all of you. This month Josh and I spent a lot of money on things that we probably didn't need. We bought a new couch, re did the bathroom and paid some big bills. By the end of the month the money was gone. So for over a week I wasn't able to buy any groceries and meals were getting, shall we say, creative. I wasn't really worried, but things were getting low. On Thursday morning I told Josh laundry would have to wait till next week because we werre out of detergent. Well, that afternoon I went over to a friends house. While I was there she took some leftovers out of the fridge and offered them to me. I politely declined, but she sent them with me anyway. I was so grateful, and told her a little bit of our situation, telling her how thankful I was for the food. She then proceeded to grab me and pull me into the kitchen and fill up bags of groceries for me, then she took me to the pantry downstairs and did the same thing. She had a full bottle of detergent on the shelf and said "I got this for free, do you need it?" I couldn't lie, and she could tell we did. (this whole time I was putting up a big fight). Now this couple is not rich, God is taking care of them, but they have 5 children and her husband is in the ministry - you know what that means. I often have so much more than I need and spend money foolishly, but she didn't care about that. She saw someone in need and wanted to help. She showed me Christ's love, and I was amazed. God cared about the fact that I had no detergent. Why? I guess because I'm His child. The next Sunday her husband got up in church and shared about how as a church, we need to do life together, and they clearly demonstrated that. It is amazing to see God working in my life right now and I pray I will be able to show Christ's love to others - everyday. God is so good.

Let's do the Care Bear countdown

Hey Blaire, this one is for you. Ella in her new pajamas, and even the whole family. Now that is rare.

so blessed

Today I went for a walk with Ella here in beautiful Cochrane. I started to think about how much I have to be thankful for. My life has changed so much over the last year, and at times it seemed so stressful. But looking back I see how much I have to be thankful for.
Joshua is an incredible man who I still can't believe chose me to be his wife. I see that even more now that I see him with Ella. He is such a hard worker, and incredibly funny, and loves me so much.
Ella. She has taught me how sinful and selfish and imperfect I am. And that I need to work on so many areas so that she has someone to look up to. In spite of all that, she still loves me and wants me more than anyone else, and laughs at my stupid faces. It won't always be that way I know, but I can be thankful for now.
Family. I didn't realize how much I needed them. They are so loving and care about me so much. I miss them a lot. I am also realizing how thankful I am for my in laws. They are incredibly godly people who are true examples to me. Ella is so blessed to have 2 of the best sets of grandparents there are.
Friends. I am a terrible friend. I am never doing what every friend should do, and yet I still have friends. You have been so faithful to me. Please don't give up on me now. I'm working on it.
God. He has taught me so much lately about Himself. I need Him so much, and I am so ungrateful at times. He is patient and forgiving every time. Wow.

I have so much to be thankful for.
Kelly

cute floor!!

Some of you have asked for pictures of our new flooring. This is probably the cutest floor that you can get. It cost a lot but it is definitely worth. it. (The baby part that is.)

Baby eating blueberries

What a beauty!!!!

Babies change your life

I would probably have never made a blog if it wasn't for Ella. People want to see her, so here I go. It does seem a little exciting mind you. We got the internet and a phone last week. Now I'm a blogger. Genns welcome to the 2000's.